- After signing a non-guaranteed deal with the Raptors this summer, Josh Jackson is making a strong bid for a roster spot, according to Doug Smith of The Toronto Star.
Second-year Knicks guard Miles McBride is hoping that his solid defense will earn him regular rotation minutes, per Steve Popper of Newsday.
Popper notes that McBride is trying to make an instant impact to prove his mettle as a contributor, seizing upon every preseason opportunity to showcase his abilities on the defensive end of the floor. To wit, he recorded six steals in under 23 minutes during New York’s first preseason game Tuesday.
“I always want to bring a defensive presence first,” McBride said. “I feel like that gets my offense going… [Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau] controls the minutes… And I’m obviously going to do anything I can to get on the floor and make a great impression.”
There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:
- Third-year Raptors reserve point guard Malachi Flynn had a “procedure” to repair a left cheekbone fracture he incurred during a weekend preseason game, reports Michael Grange of Sportsnet. Grange adds that Flynn should be back with Toronto ahead of the team’s regular season opener, albeit while donning a face shield.
- Nets head coach Steve Nash asserts that newly re-signed Brooklyn center Nic Claxton has evolved in the way he develops his game, writes Ethan Sears of The New York Post. “His attention to detail, his consistency, I think you see the benefits,” Nash said. “It feels like he can play longer stretches at high intensity. He’s a little stronger, more physical in traffic. We’re just gonna keep growing his understanding of the game and situational awareness.”
- Following an isolation-heavy few years with All-Stars Kyrie Irving, James Harden, and Kevin Durant at the helm, the Nets are now focusing on a more pass-happy approach to their offense, Brian Lewis of The New York Post reports. “You look at some of our possessions last year, it was a lot of one-on-one,” Irving said. “You guys [reporters] talked about it often and we were well aware of it that that offense when the ball sticks it’s just not the greatest brand of basketball you can play.”
- The Raptors went most of last season with a rotation of players no taller than 6’9”. That could change this season if 7’1” Christian Koloko can establish a rotation spot, Eric Koreen of The Athletic writes. Coach Nick Nurse wants Koloko to become a shot-blocking presence. “For me, he’s a shot blocker, first and foremost,” Nurse said. “I’ll use the same analogy as I used (about) getting to the rim: If you want to block shots, you better take some swings out there. And I want to up his number of swings he takes at the ball.”
- The Raptors might have to take a small step back this season to set up a bigger step forward in 2024 or 2025, John Hollinger of The Athletic opines in his season preview. Hollinger forecasts a top-six finish in the Eastern Conference with the possibility of the Raptors advancing out of the first round but no further.
From all appearances, Dalano Banton will have his contract guaranteed and a spot on the Raptors’ opening night roster, according to Doug Smith of the Toronto Star. That would leave forwards Justin Champagnie, D.J. Wilson and Josh Jackson fighting for one job during the preseason.
Coach Nick Nurse has spelled out the parameters of what he’s looking for at the end of his bench.
“Are they going to be able to understand what we’re doing, know what we’re doing, not make too many mistakes, be opportunity-type scorers?” he said. “Being on the same page out there, and being able to execute so that you’re fitting in, is always right at the top of the list. Competitive fire and drive, (playing) super hard is always 1, 1 and 1A. It’ll be interesting. It’s a battle, for sure.”
We have more on the Raptors:
- Banton, a 2021 second-round selection, had nine points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals against the Jazz in the preseason opener. Fred VanVleet notes how much Banton has learned since joining the team, Smith writes. “There’s a progression to the game slowing down for guys as they gain experience and you can see that with him,” VanVleet said of his young teammate. “Picking his spots, knowing where to attack, getting stronger and being able to finish at the rim. Last year he came in with amazing pace and that height at 6-9 but for him to really read the floor and know the system and kind of run the team a bit, I think that’s where he’s probably grown most and will continue to grow.”
- A Siakam will bide his time with the team’s NBA G League affiliate this season. Christian Siakam, the older brother of the star forward, has been added to the Raptors 905 coaching staff, according to The Star. He worked with the club last season and played professionally for Bahrain Club and the Malaysian club KL Dragons.
- Pascal Siakam aspires to reach the superstar level, prompting both Michael Grange of Sportsnet and Eric Koreen of The Athletic to explore how he could elevate his game to new heights.
The battle for the final roster spots on the Raptors‘ regular season roster is ongoing at training camp, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports tweets. The team currently has 12 spots believed to be locked in.
According to Lewenberg, Justin Champagnie, D.J. Wilson and Josh Jackson are expected to compete for the final roster spot, while Juancho Hernangomez and Dalano Banton will likely claim the other two.
“We do a staff vote every single day, and that vote changes every single day,” head coach Nick Nurse admitted.
The Raptors must trim their training camp roster down to 17 players (which can include two two-way players) by October 17 at 5:00 pm ET. Toronto has established itself as a team that prioritizes length and defensive versatility. The team went 48-34 last season, finishing fifth in the Eastern Conference.
Here are some other notes out of Toronto:
- Otto Porter Jr. recently tweaked his hamstring in camp, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet (Twitter link). Nurse said Porter may be out for a “little bit.” Porter signed a two-year deal to join the team this past summer. In addition, Grange relays that Thaddeus Young (knee) is day-to-day. Young is once again expected to provide frontcourt depth off the bench for Toronto this season.
- Second-year player Scottie Barnes is impressing Nurse and the team in training camp, Lori Ewing of The Canadian Press writes (link via The Toronto Star). Barnes won the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award last season. “It feels like it’s better and he’s making more in the rhythm of what we’re doing,” Nurse said. “He’s not hesitating to take them at all, the threes. He’s still doing the rest of the stuff. He’s got that long, slow, strong drive where he puts it in the basket. He’s got that pull-up thing when he has a size advantage. But the frequency with which he’s letting them go is certainly on the rise.”
- Big man Khem Birch discovered he suffered a torn meniscus when he underwent arthroscopic surgery on his knee this offseason, Eric Koreen of The Athletic tweets. Birch isn’t 100% yet, but he’s working his way back. The 30-year-old appeared in 55 games with Toronto last season, averaging 4.5 points and 4.3 rebounds in 18.0 minutes per contest.
The Pelicans have never paid the luxury tax but that could change soon, Christian Clark of the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.
Owner Gayle Benson is willing to pay the tax, according to Pelicans executive VP David Griffin, since the team has the ability to become a serious contender.
“We’re not bound by, ‘We won’t pay the tax,'” Griffin said. “We will not frivolously pay the tax. If this team is in a position to be as good as we hope to be, I don’t think resources are going to be the reason we won’t get where we need to go.”
The Pelicans are currently approximately $3.6MM below the NBA’s luxury tax line of $150.3MM.
We have more from the Northwest Division:
- Following a season in which he rehabbed a foot injury, Pelicans big man Zion Williamson left his coach and teammates awestruck in two practices Tuesday, according to Andrew Lopez of ESPN. “What stood out was his force more than anything,” coach Willie Green said. “He got down the floor quickly. When he caught the ball, he made quick decisions. Whether it was scoring, finding a teammate. It was really impressive to see.” Williamson inked a five-year, max extension this summer.
- Rockets coach Stephen Silas wasn’t thrilled by what he saw during Wednesday’s practice, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. “I saw we have a lot of work to do,” Silas said. “(It’s) day two, obviously. We did a good job of putting things in. We scrimmaged quite a bit today and it’s evident, it doesn’t happen overnight. It’s going to be a process for us. We’re going to have to learn from mistakes and watch film and get better as a result.”
- Steven Adams taking 3-pointers this season? It’s not out of the question. “He’s definitely putting in the work over the summer,” Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins told Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. “I even told him if you’re open, shoot it. I want him to be aggressive.” However, Adams hopes to keep it a secret weapon. He’s only made one 3-pointer in 14 career attempts.
- The Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the Rockets’ G League affiliate, acquired the returning player rights to guard Jalen Lecque from the Raptors 905, the team tweets. The Vipers traded away the returning player rights to Christian Vital. Lecque played four games with the Pacers in 2020/21.
Fred VanVleet made changes to his diet as well as his strength and conditioning regimen in order to stay healthy while playing heavy minutes, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. Lewenberg notes that VanVleet has played the second-most minutes per game in the NBA over the past three seasons (trailing only James Harden), and 47 of his 55 missed games over that span have come in the second half of seasons.
“It’s a 12-month season now, year ‘round,” said a noticeably slimmer VanVleet. “Hopefully I can stay on this regimen the rest of my career. There’s always gonna be new changes and things you have to adjust and adapt to as you try to grow. I’ve had a hell of a run so far, so to continue to try to keep growing is going to be challenging every year but I’m up for it.”
Head coach Nick Nurse said the team hopes to reduce VanVleet’s workload in 2022/23, but it’s more complicated than just following a prescribed plan.
“It’s not easy,” Nurse said, per Lewenberg. “When you got a super competitive guy who’s playing great and he wants to play, to rest him, to just say, ‘Sorry, it’s your rest time, we don’t care what’s happening on the floor right now, it’s your rest time,’ that’s hard to do. But I think we learned a lot about how we can shift our team around without him in there and I think that we’re going to need to be able to do that. I hope we can get it done.”
Here’s more on the Raptors:
- Precious Achiuwa‘s development is one of the keys to Toronto’s standing in the East, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Achiuwa made an immediate impact as a defender in his first year with the Raptors in ’21/22, but struggled on offense. However, he had a big second half last season, and if he can build upon that, the Raptors will be that much more dangerous, Grange notes. Nurse says the third-year big man has impressed early on in training camp. “I think that he’s improving all the time. I think he had a great especially last half. I’ve already talked about I think he had a great spring, summer, fall so far, and he’s looked really good during the first three practices,” said Nurse. “So you know, I think a good step forward for him is expected by him, first and foremost, which is the most important, and by all of us, yeah.”
- Both Nurse and Chris Boucher are hoping for more consistency from the “really unique” big man, who signed a three-year, $35MM contract to remain with the Raptors. “There are some nights when he’s picking and popping and not hitting those, and he can’t live in that world, that’s always just extra for us,” Nurse said, per Lori Ewing of The Toronto Star. “(He has to) continue to run, continue to crash the glass, continue to block shots and continue to be that spirit, that force of spirit that he is out there and playing hard.”
- In another article for Sportsnet, Grange writes that the Raptors are more confident in their depth after adding Otto Porter and Juancho Hernangomez in free agency, plus having a full season of Thaddeus Young, who signed an extension shortly before free agency opened. Young players like Malachi Flynn, Dalano Banton and Justin Champagnie could also be important depth pieces if they continue to improve, Grange adds.
The Raptors were repeatedly tied to big-name trade candidates this offseason, rumored to be possible suitors for Rudy Gobert, Donovan Mitchell, and Kevin Durant. Toronto ended up having a relatively quiet summer, making only minor tweaks to its roster, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca, who says the club is counting on internal growth from its own players, including Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes.
Still, while the Raptors didn’t take a big swing in the last few months, that doesn’t mean they’re not willing to make a major trade at some point to move closer to title contention. A league source tells Lewenberg that one situation the Raptors are “closely monitoring” is in Oklahoma City, in case Thunder star and Toronto native Shai Gilgeous-Alexander eventually seeks a change of scenery.
The Thunder have only won a total of 46 games in the last two seasons and appear headed for another lottery finish in 2022/23, but there’s no indication Gilgeous-Alexander is seeking an exit ramp out of town. He said this week that he knew what he was getting into when he signed a five-year extension with OKC a year ago and that he doesn’t think the team will keep losing for much longer.
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- When he became a free agent and was weighing his options this summer, Otto Porter Jr. got in touch with forward Thaddeus Young to seek his opinion on Toronto, tweets Lewenberg. Young helped convince his former Bulls teammate to sign with the Raptors. “He’s one of my better friends in the league,” Young said. “He asked me questions and I said, ‘Come on through, sign the deal and let’s go.'”
- Head coach Doc Rivers is pleased with the moves the Sixers‘ front office made this offseason, telling reporters this week that the team addressed the holes it was hoping to fill. “We had a targeted summer, and we hit pretty much what we’re looking for,” Rivers said, per Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “… We have to learn how to become a team first, and if we do that, I love who we are.”
- Center Isaiah Hartenstein explained on Tuesday that he signed with the Knicks as a free agent this summer because they made him feel “wanted” and because he believes his ability to shoot and make plays from the center position will add a new dimension to the team. “I felt like I can bring something that they didn’t have, to help them win,” Hartenstein said, according to Zach Braziller of The New York Post.
Raptors guard Fred VanVleet has the ability to become an unrestricted free agent next summer if he turns down his player option for the 2023/24 season. At Monday’s Media Day, he and team president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri were noncommittal about whether a contract extension will get done in the coming weeks, but both sides expressed enthusiasm about continuing the relationship, as Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca relays (Twitter links).
“I’ll just say I love being a Raptor,” VanVleet said. “… There’s nothing I could ever complain about being on this team. You guys will know when it’s time to know, but I’m happy with where I am and I think it’s a mutual love.”
Ujiri stated that the team is in a “good place” with VanVleet after some initial extension conversations.
“Whether it’s now or later on, Fred is beloved to us,” Ujiri said. “… Hopefully we’ll figure (it out).”
Here are a few more notes out of Toronto:
- O.G. Anunoby told reporters today that he was “surprised” by an offseason report claiming that he was unhappy with his role on offense, tweets Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. “I haven’t really talked about role with (head coach) Nick (Nurse),” Anunoby said. “We’re all just trying to get better and everything will fall into place.”
- After making an All-Star team and earning a pair of All-NBA nods, Pascal Siakam is setting even higher expectations for himself, telling reporters today that his goal is to become a “top-five” player in the NBA. “I want to be one of the best and I’ll do whatever it takes to get there,” Siakam said, according to Lewenberg (Twitter link). “I’m ready for it. It’s time.”
- Before he signed with the Raptors, Juancho Hernangomez spoke to fellow Spaniards Marc Gasol, Jose Calderon, and Sergio Scariolo about the franchise and the city of Toronto, tweets Lewenberg. The input Hernangomez received from former Raptors assistant Scariolo, in particular, played a major part in his decision.
- The Raptors let their tender window for Jalen Harris lapse, which made him an unrestricted free agent and allowed the Knicks to sign him outright, tweets Blake Murphy of Sportsnet and The Fan 590. Toronto had the ability to retain Harris, but the team already had a full camp roster and opted to let him go.
The Knicks have signed free agent guard Jalen Harris, the team’s public relations department announced (via Twitter). The details of the agreement weren’t released, but it’s likely an Exhibit 10 deal designed to get Harris to play for New York’s G League affiliate.
Harris, 24, was banned for one year from the NBA in July of 2021 for violating the terms of the anti-drug program. He appeared in just 13 games with the Raptors before that. Toronto drafted him No. 59 overall in 2021 after he played collegiately at Louisiana Tech and Nevada.
Harris averaged 7.4 points in 13.2 minutes with the Raptors, shooting 50% from the floor. While serving his suspension, Harris also played in Italy and Canada.
The Raptors reportedly gave Harris a two-way qualifying offer after he was reinstated by the NBA in August. That qualifying offer would theoretically have given Toronto the right to match any rival offer he received, so it seems the team either dropped the QO or opted not to match the Knicks’ deal.
The Knicks now have 19 players under contract with training camp set to start this week.